26423 - Project Support Officer

£28,174 - £36,229
7
12 Months
National
Croydon
SOUTHERN HOUSE CROYDON, CR0 1XG
HEO
C
Fixed Term
For a period of up to 2 years
Full Time
Programme and Project Management

The postholder will be expected to work flexibly and travel to Southern House, Croydon on a regular basis

Background

It is an extremely exciting time here at HM Courts and Tribunals Service. We are currently undertaking a first-of-its-kind Change Programme aimed at delivering pioneering judicial services that better serve the public, and with over £1 Billion of funding this is the most ambitious programme of its kind anywhere in the world.

The Programme includes modernising the court estate, utilising the latest technology to digitise services where appropriate, speeding up and streamlining working practices, refurbishing buildings to reduce maintenance costs and provide much improved services for service users, especially vulnerable witnesses and victims.

The Programme is ambitious and we need resilient, resourceful and adaptable people to make it happen. This is an opportunity to gain fantastic experience in a major transformation programme, develop a range of effective business skills and play a key role in how justice is delivered in this country.

Can you deliver in a fast-paced environment that is changing constantly? Does developing pioneering new services focussed on the end-user excite you? If so, please read on and apply today.

Crime Programme

The Crime Programme is a key part of the HMCTS Change Programme and is also delivering key aspects of the Crown Prosecution Service’s CJS Strategy & Action Plan (who are delivering the Programme in partnership). It is a business transformation programme which will enable the criminal justice system, and the individual agencies working within it, to fundamentally change the way they work, to be more efficient and effective and deliver a better service for society and taxpayers.

For the first time, criminal case information will be kept together in one place, instead of being re-entered and replicated on numerous different systems. Parties will be able to access and update the same data set based on their security profile and associated access rights. The initial focus is on processes and systems in HMCTS and CPS, and the interfaces with the legal defence community, Police, NOMS and other prosecuting authorities with respect to cases heard in the Magistrates’ and Crown Courts in England and Wales.

Key Responsibilities

Role Summary

The role of the Project Support Officer covers a diverse range of activities to support the delivery of the project’s objectives. The Project Support Officer enables the smooth running of the project by supporting the Project Manager through the operation of project management processes, and the co-ordination of business management actions and activities on their behalf.

Typical Role Responsibilities

Planning and scheduling

  • Assist with and maintain appropriate systems to enable effective planning and scheduling;
  • Monitor the delivery of work streams against plans, chasing and challenging progress as appropriate;
  • Help the Project Manager/Senior Project Manager to manage schedule and resource dependencies and conflict between initiatives;
  • Produce and maintain Plan on a Page (POAP) and where necessary traditional Waterfall Microsoft Project Plans.

Monitoring and reporting

  • Assist in maintaining project controls and in producing project reports;
  • Be responsible for developing and managing project tracking, control and reporting arrangements;
  • Assess and evaluate information received from project(s) from the range of reporting sources;
  • Assist the Programme/Project Manager(s) with drafting documentation and reports as required;
  • Keeping Jira/Confluence pages up to date.

Administration

  • Responsible for project file management using robust version control;
  • Organise key project meetings, and provide secretariat support.

Resources

  • Mange the burn down of contractors and approving time sheets as required;
  • Work with the Project/Senior Project Manager to produce Statements of Work;
  • Maintain records of spend against budget and inform the Project/Senior Project Manager if that spend rises above expectations.

Stakeholder

  • Assist the Business Change Manager with maintaining the stakeholder log for internal and external stakeholders;
  • Act as the focal point for project responses to external requests for information;
  • Act a secretariat for any engagement sessions, booking the venue, sending invites, talking minutes and capturing actions.

Financial control

  • Assist with the monitoring of project spend and contribute to the compilation of budgets;
  • Maintain an accurate asset register for the project;
  • Ensure all expenditure commitments and all payments are properly authorised, controlled and monitored in accordance with relevant programme and departmental procedures;
  • Raise purchase orders and approve invoices.

Risks, Assumptions, Issues and Dependencies

  • Assist with and maintain RAID logs, escalating as appropriate;
  • Log risks, owners and mitigating actions;
  • Provide updates for regular reports on top risks and issues.

Project Delivery

  • Manage the end-to-end procedures relating to all aspects of the project life-cycle;
  • Identify and resolve some problems, referring more complex and difficult issues upwards;
  • Assist with the support and maintenance of “best practice” in Programme/Project processes.

Analysis

  • Develop and manage an aggregated view of delivery performance, resources and costs;
  • Provide ad-hoc analysis and reports for senior management.

Communications

  • Support the Project/Senior Project Manager and Communications & Engagement Manager(s) to ensure effective project communications plans are developed and delivered.

Accountability

  • Reporting to the allocated Project Manager/Senior Project Manager

Essential Criteria

To be successful in this role, you must be able to demonstrate the following skills and experience:

  • Experience of building productive relationships with internal and external Stakeholders such as Project Managers and Business Owners;
  • Identification and management of risks, issues and dependencies;
  • Planning, preparing, monitoring and reporting on project plans to progress;
  • Ability to work to tight timescales, managing priorities and ensuring delivery of quality products;
  • Ability to communicate verbally and in writing clearly to a non-technical audience.

Desirable Criteria

Previous experience in a Project or Programme environment is desirable, including:

  • Creation and maintenance of delivery plans;
  • Knowledge of project and/or programme management methodologies (Agile, Waterfall, MSP etc);
  • Experience of using Jira/Confluence;
  • Finance experience, including burn down monitoring, production of Purchase Orders and Statement of Work preparation.

How to Apply

To apply for this position please complete the application form online and submit an up-to-date CV and a 750-word statement of suitability that demonstrates the following:

  • Your key skills and experience and how these relate to the key responsibilities and requirements outlined above;
  • Your personal characteristics and qualities and how these will lead to success in this position;
  • Your professional successes and achievements that set you apart from other applicants.

This is an exciting opportunity to take significant levels of responsibility and develop programme and project management skills whilst working within one of the largest change programmes in government, which is internationally recognised as the most ambitious reform of a Justice System ever undertaken.

If you feel that you have what it takes to be a success in this role, then please apply today.

To apply for this position please complete the application form online and submit an up-to-date CV and a 750-word statement of suitability that demonstrates the following: 

  • Your key skills and experience and how these relate to the key responsibilities and requirements outlined above;
  • Your personal characteristics and qualities and how these will lead to success in this position;
  • Your professional successes and achievements that set you apart from other applicants.

Working Arrangements & Further Information

Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.

Flexible working hours

The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices.

Benefits

The MoJ offers a range of benefits:

Annual Leave

Generous allowances for paid holiday starting at 25 days per year, and rising as your service increases. There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.

Pension

The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.

Training

The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.

Support

  • A range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
  • Access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits,retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
  • For any moves across the Civil Service may have implications on your ability to carry on claiming childcare vouchers
  • Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
  • Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.

Networks

The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.

Expected June 2019

30/05/2019, 23:55 hours.

If you require any assistance please call 0845 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@sscl.gse.gov.uk Please quote the job reference - 26423.

To apply for roles in MOJ you will need to confirm your employment history for at least 3 years prior to the date of application so that pre-employment checks (BPSS) can be undertaken. If you have spent significant time abroad (a total of 6 months in the past 3 years) you would be required to give a reasonable account of the reasons why. 

For some roles you will be required to successfully complete National Security Vetting at Counter Terrorism (CTC), Security Clearance (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV) level as a condition of appointment. To meet CTC/SC/DV requirements you will normally need to have been resident in the UK for at least 3/5/10 years prior to the date of application (The level of checks that are required are stated in the advert).

If you do not meet the above requirements, you may still be considered if, for example:

  • You've been serving overseas with HM Forces or in some other official capacity as a representative of HM Government
  • You were studying abroad
  • You were living overseas with parents

In such cases you will need to be able to provide referee cover for the period(s) of residence overseas. The duration of overseas residence and the country of abode will also be taken into account.

Candidate Information

You may be required to provide statements describing your skills and experience relevant to each of the selection criteria. We recommend that you structure any examples as Situation, Task, Action and Result. For more information about the recruitment process and answers to general queries, please click the below link which will direct you to our Candidate Information Page.

Link: https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

In the event of a large number of applications, we reserve the right to undertake the following processes:


  • An automated online test where a benchmark must be passed to progress;
  • A sift on the lead selection criteria. If this happens, the lead criteria will be the first one listed in the advert.

During the selection process, you may be asked to undertake an additional assessment (such as written test). If this is applicable you will be notified of this when you are invited to interview.



if you feel that your application has not been treated in line with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles, please contact SSCL (Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com) in the first instance
Other competency/Experience

We have provided detail of the assessment stages and areas being assessed to help you prepare for completing your application form, and to advise of what will be assessed following this, if you successfully pass the application stage.


Application form stage assessments

Interview stage assessments

There is 1 interview stage for this vacancy.

A Great Place to Work for Veterans

The "Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans" initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces.
For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit : https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans

Redeployment Interview Scheme

Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ are committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'.

MoJ are able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidate's will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

· UK nationals

· nationals of the Republic of Ireland

· nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK

· nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families

· nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)

· individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020

· Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules

This Vacancy is closed to applications.